SWINDON & CRICKLADE ‘GUTTED’ AS OWSDEN HALL MOVES TO QUAINTON
‘Modified Hall’ No. 6984 Owsden Hall has moved to the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre for completion, leaving the Swindon & Cricklade Railway ‘disappointed’.
The ex-Barry Hawksworth 4-6-0 arrived at Quainton Road late on November 25 and was unloaded the following day. It had been resident at the SCR since 2013, after its owner Trevor Westbury was asked to leave the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway.
It will take up residence in the shed at Quainton Road recently vacated by classmate No. 6989 Wightwick Hall, when that engine became the 150th from Dai Woodham’s scrapyard to return to steam. Wightwick Hall is running with No. 6984’s tender while its own is completed.
The SCR’s steam locomotive department stated: “Although the team are disappointed with this decision, following the dedicated effort we all put in, we wish 6984 well in her future endeavours and hope she will return one day.”
Allan Bott, the railway’s publicity manager, added: “We’re all gutted – it’s a raw subject.”
Steam Railway has been unable to contact Mr Westbury, but Mike Tayler – a volunteer with No. 6989’s restoration group – said: “Trevor’s a long-standing member of Quainton and lives just up the road, so it’s the obvious place.”
Wightwick Hall is due to return to Quainton Road after the Battlefield Line’s gala on January 4/5 (see separate story).
Many preserved lines have expressed interest in hiring No. 6989 in 2020, but no visits are confirmed. “It would be easier to list the railways we haven’t heard from!” said Mr Tayler.